Car-coupling



(No Model.)

T. FARMER, J. A. P. BOVARD & 1?. D. MOON.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

WITNESSES: C I INVENTOR,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS FARMER, JOHN A. F. BOVARD, AND FRANK D. MOON, OF OIL CITY, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF PART TO JAMES B. SIPE AND YVILLARD M. GIBBS, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,610, dated November 1, 1887.

Application filed August 22, 1887. Serial No. 247,501.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS FARMER, J OHN A. F. BOVARD, and FRANK D. Moon, ofOil City, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gar-Couplers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to car-couplers, and more particularly to an improvement in the form of coupler shown and described in a patent granted to Thomas Farmer June 14, 1887, No. 364,914. That coupler consists in a coupler bar or lever journaled in bearings on the beam at the end of the ear-frame and extending out to the sides of the car, which bar has formed in it at about its center an outwardlyprojecting loop that engages a draw-head having an upwardly-projecting lug or hook, the outer face of this draw-head above the bumpersurface being made tapering toward the end of the hook to deflect the end of the loop up and over the end of the hook when the car with the loop was moved back on draw-head, the coupling-lever being held in the proper position either by the hand or by a spring fixed to the side of the car bearing against the outer ends of the coupler-lever, which are bent inward for this purpose. This spring served to maintain the couplerlever either up or down or in a position to engage the hooked draw-head. \Ve have found, however, that the spring cannot be relied upon to hold the coupler-lever in the required position to render the coupler automatic in its action, as the lever or bar may be placed by the operator too high or too low to insure the loop striking the inclined surface of the hook of the drawhead and be forced over the end of the same. WVe have also found that this coupler could not be attached to cars provided with the ordinary draw-head and pin where there was a difference in the height of the draw-head of the two cars above the rail.

The object of our invention is to provide a coupler in which the coupler-lever is positively held in such a position that the coupling action is rendered absolutely automatic and without chance of failure, and also a coup (No model.)

ling which is capable of being attached to other cars in which the old form of draw-head and pin is used and where there may be a difference in the height of the cars.

To these ends our invention consists in a draw-head having an upwardly-projecting'55 hook or lug thereon, a coupler-lever journaled at the end of the ear-body, said lever having a central loop or link formed therein or attached thereto for engaging the hook on the other draw-head, and a self-acting catch or arm secured to the side of the car-body for holding said coupler-lever in its coupling position; and the invention also consists in combining with said coupler-lever and catch a spring to bear against the arms of said lever to hold it in its up or down position; and the invention further consists in providing the draw-head with a vertical elongated slot, in which is secured the link which serves to connect our draw-head to the form now generally in use, by which slot this link may be raised and lowered, so as to bring it opposite the opening in the other draw-head, and thus provide for cars of different heights; and our invention also consists in certain other improvements, all of which will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will describe the same, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the end of two cars with our improved coupler thereon, the latter being uncoupled and the parts in aposition for their automatic coupling. Fig. 2 shows a side view of the cars coupled-that is, after the cars have come together; and Figs.

3 and 4 are detail views of some of the parts.

Like letters refer to like parts in each of the figures of the drawings.

The draw-headais attached to the car body in the usual manner, the head being of cast or wrought iron or steel and having the upwardly-projecting hook or lug a, the outer face, a", of which tapers or is inclined toward its end for the purpose of deflecting the loop 5 of the coupling-lever up and over the end of the hook, as hereinafter described. The draw head is also provided with the flat bumper- 2 static face I) for the head of the next car to strike against, and below this bumper-face it is ,rounded off, for the purpose hereinafter described. A vertical elongated slot, 0, is formed in the draw head, in which slot is secured a link, 0, that serves to connect the coupler to any car which is provided with the ordinary draw-head and pin, the elongation of the slot allowing the link to be moved up or down to provide for the difference in height between the'two cars.

J ournaled in the bearings 61, secured to the sill or beam of the end of the car-frame or other suitable point, is a coupler-lever, e,which notch, when the lever is raised to the coupling position, is engaged by the bent end of an arm or catch, g, pivoted to the side of the car-body, as in Fig. 1, which arm g is so weighted that when the loop of the couplinglever is raised and the arms 6 lowered it will immediately drop away from the arms 6 and return to its normal position, as shown in Fig.

' 2. To hold the couplingdever up or down-'- that is, so that it cannot fall over the hook of the draw-head when another car is brought against the coupling', and that it will be out of the way when not in use-a spring, h, is sewhen positive power is applied to the arms,

gives way and permits them to pass by.

The operation of coupling two cars provided with our improved apparatus is as follows: The cars being separated a distance apart, the coupling-lever e on one car is turned by one of the arms 6 until the notch f on it is engaged by the bent end of the pivoted catch or arm 9, which holds the coupling-lever in the coupling position, as in Fig. 1, the coupling-lever of the other car being preferably raised, as in Fig. 2. If, now, the cars are brought together, the loop 6 of the coupling-lever strikes against the inclined face a of the draw-head of the other car and is deflected upward, which causes the arm e to move downward and release the catch so that it falls by its weight toits normal position out of the way of thearms. The loop 6 continues to move upward on the face a of thehook at until it reaches the end of the hook, when it falls over the latter, being no r to prevent its descending also.

longer prevented from fallingv by the catch 9. Thus the action of the coupling is purely automatic, and as the catch 9 insures that the loop or coupling-lever will be set in the proper position there is no danger of the loop dropping under the inclined face of the draw-head and being broken or bent by the impact of the car thereon. When it is desired to doublecouple the cars, the loop on the other car is turned down, which gives a very strong connection and divides the strain, so that onefourth comes directly on each draw-head and one-fourth on each car-frame. If it should happen that both coupling-levers are set for coupling, as in Fig. 1, and the two cars are brought together, then the lower loop will force the upper one upward against the carframe, where it will be held by the spring h,

and the lower loop .drop over the hook and couple the cars, as heretofore described. When the loops are down and the cars back up, then the rounded under surface of the face of the draw-head serves to deflect the loop downward and prevent it from being broken by coming in contact with a flat face of the drawhead.

Our improved coupling has the advantages that it acts automatically, can be used to double-couple the cars, can be used in connection with the common form of draw-head and pin where there is a difference in the height of the cars, and also permits the cars being coupled on curves, as the loop, being wider than the draw head, permits considerable movement of the latter from side to side.

In case of accidents,.where a bridge gives way and the forward car descends, it immediately uncouples itself from the rear cars, as the hook of the draw-head drops out of the loop on the rear car, which can be braked in time Our invention can also be applied to any of the forms of cars now in general use.

Having now described our invention, what We claim is-- 1. In a car-coupler, the combination of the draw-head having a hook or proj ection thereon, the outer face of said hook being inclined toward the end, a coupler-lever journaled in bearings on the end of the car, and a self-acting catch for holding said lever in position and dropping away from. and releasing the same when it comes in contact with the draw-head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of the coupler e, having the central loop, e, and the bent end or ends 6 with a pivoted catch, engaging said end, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination,with a draw-head having ahook or proj ection thereon.

with an inclined outer face, of a coupler-lever journaled in bearings on the car, said-lever having a central loop and bent ends, and a pivoted catch or arm engaging a notch in said ends, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a oar-coupler, the combination of a tions, substantially as and for the purpose set draw-head having an elongated vertical slot forth. with a coupling-link secured in said slot, sub- In testimony whereof we, the said THOMAS stantially as and for the purpose described. FARMER, JOHN A. F. BOVARD, and FRANK D. l 5 5 5. In a earcoupler, the combination of a MOON, have hereunto set our hands.

draw-head having a hook or projection thereon THOS. FARMER. andaloop-couplerleverjournaledin bearings JOHN A. F. BOVARD. on the end of the car and having bent outer F. D. MOON. ends with a pivoted catch and a spring or Witnesses:

IO springs secured to the bar for engaging said CHARLES M. TrIoRP,

lever and holding the same in different posi- H. D. HANCOCK. 

